Courts / Ireland / Report

Lawyers acting for Garda whistleblower to ask tribunal ajudicator to step aside

Date
2024-12-18
Stage
Hearing Or Decision

Summary

Lawyers for Garda analyst Lois West, who was deputy head of the Garda Siochána Analytics Service, have asked the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) adjudicator, Roger McGrath, to step aside. West claims she has suffered ongoing penalisation, bullying, harassment and sexual harassment since testifying to the Oireachtas in 2018 about errors in homicide data. She is pursuing complaints under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014, the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and the Payment of Wages Act 1991 against the Commissioner of An Garda Siochána, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the Government. At a hearing, the adjudicator declined to allow a retired senior manager to be summoned as a witness and refused an order for disclosure of correspondence involving West's treating psychologist. West's barrister, David Byrnes, said the client does not accept these decisions and seeks a motion for recusal, arguing an unfair hearing.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Lawyers acting for Garda whistleblower to ask tribunal ajudicator to step aside. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

Case subjects

Lois West

Applicant

Outcome: You may not accept that, but I repeat it: my concern is for Ms West." He adjourned the matter and wished the parties "a very happy Christmas", asking Ms West's husband, who was present for the matter, to pass on his regards to his wife.

Topics

Stage Hearing Or Decision

Read the original CNI report

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